Circular knitting machine for knitting seamless panty girdles and the like



Dec. 20, 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL 3,

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS vPAN'IY GIRDLES AND THELIKE I? Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1965 Dec. 20, 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIOETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNLTTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES AND THELIKE Filed June 5, 1963 L7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 20, 1966 G. F; SQUILLARIOETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES AND THELIKE V 1.7 Sneets- Sheet 4 Filed June 5) 1963 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES ANDTHE'LIKE Filed June 5. 1963 i7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOREJ. GEORGE FSaumuxmo and Ezvm RAY BR\bGEE ,cZCE55CZ MA m om urofis By w e mfimamArrow/5K5 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL 3,

Dec. 20, 1966 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTYGIRDLES AND, THE LIKE Filed June 5, 1963 l7 Sheets-Sheet 6 BY 511; ATT/eA/Ew G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTINGSEAMLE Dec. 20, 1966 PANTY GIRDLES AND THE LIKE Sheets-Sheet '7 FiledJune 5, 1963 INVENTORS:

s a m m m m mm m m oa mcm c m 2m W A wmww Q 4 mmmm EY m M N G. LC 2mm @WW wm E Dec. 20, 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES AND THELIKE Filed June 5. 1963 i7 iheets sheet 8 INvENToRst GEORGE E SQUILLARIOand I :f, Y I ERVI N RAY Bszmeas, iecezsed' .Z 9 E lg/H RLEY Biamaesancl v M A 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR'KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIHDLES AND THELIKE Filed June 5. 1963 l7 Sheets-Sheet 9 1 mm 4 U mg a mmd 36$ W EET NmMM S v mmw :QWBBM Y R &3 mm ov A ERHM WM E 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES AND THELIKE l7 Sheets- Sheet 10 Filed June 5. 1963 I INVENTORS:

d E 4% m @mw m o fu mfl m mam; I

BBm Y R mma mmm v A m H Gcmlwm E W ATTOR/VEHE Dec. 20, 1966 G. F.SQUILLARIO ETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNlTTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLBS AND THELIKE Filed June 5. 1963 1! Sheets-Sheet 1! 1966 e. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES AND THELIKE Filed June 5, 1963 l? Sheets-Sheet 1:3

INVENTORS.

1966 G. F. SQUILLARXO ETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTXNG MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLES AND THLLIKE Filed June 5, 1963 i7 Sheets-Sheet 15 L' MK 7 I INVENTORSZ 30GEORGE E SQU\LLAE\O and ERVI N RAY BRlbG Es, deceased Q HARLEY Blames anEM AC BRIbGEsgSimr EXECUTORS D 1966 G. F. SQUILLARIO ETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNlTTING SEAMLHSS PANTY GIHDLES AND THELIKE Filed June 5. 1963 L7 Sheets-Sheet 14 1966 G. F. SQUILLARlO ETAL3,2

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNlTTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDIJES AND THELIKE Filed June 5, 1963 7 i7 Sheets-$heet l6 \l w e W W9 W-7 W-5 W-5\Al-l .1 .Z 9 INVENTORS? GEORGE F. S mLLAR 10 and ERWN RAY Samaria,deceased HARLEY BRxbGES and EMMA C. BmGEsJbmT EXECUTORS Dec. 20, 1966 G.F. SQUILLARIO IETAL 3,292,392

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNlTTING SEAMLEsS PANTY GIRDLES AND THELIKE L7 Sheets- Sheet 17 Filed June 5 1963 United States Patent3,292,392 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOR KNITTING SEAMLESS PANTY GIRDLESAND THE LIKE George F. Squillario, Valdese, N.C., and Ervin Ray Bridges,deceased, late of Connellys Springs, N.C., by Harley Bridges, executor,Palmetto, Ga., and Emma C. Bridges, executrix, Connellys Springs, N.C.,assignors, by mesne assignments, to Pilot Research Corporation, Valdese,N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed June 5, 1963, Ser. No.285,841 Claims. (Cl. 66-48) The present invention relates to an improvedcircular knitting machine for knitting seamless panty girdles and thelike. The present improved machine is particularly adapted for knittingpanty girdles of the general type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,962,884,and of the type shown in US. patent applications, Serial No. 55,302,filed September 12, 1960 and Serial No. 60,456, filed October 4, 1960.Generally, each of these seamless panty girdles includes a pair ofseamless legs which are knit with totary motion of the needle cylinderand integrally formed widened and narrowed gussets which are knit withreciprocating motion of the needle cylinder and which are fashionedduring knitting to provide the desired shape and proper fit to thegarment.

In addition to being capable of forming the general type of seamlesspanty girdles disclosed in the abovenoted patent and applications, theimproved machine of the present invention is also capable of formingimproved variations and other types of seamless panty girdles.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a knitting machine of the type described which is provided withmeans to vary the type of stitch structure formed in selected portionsof the garment and thereby vary the constrictive qualities of the fabricin these portions of the garment.

It is another object to provide a knitting machine of the type describedwhich is provided with means for varying the fashioning of the gussetsat the front and rear of the garment and thereby provide a better fit.

It is yet another object to provide a knitting machine of the typedescribed which includes means for finishing the terminal ends of thelegs of the garment by a turned welt.

In order to carry out the above-noted objects, as well as other objects,the present knitting machine is provided with means for alternatelyraising and lowering the stitch cams during reciprocatory knitting toprevent drawing the inactive low needles to stitch forming level duringreciprocation of the needle cylinder and thereby reduce the drawing ofthe stitch loops carried thereby.

The machine is also provided with means for raising and maintainingselected inactive needles at a relatively high elevation to pass abovethe stitch cams while maintaining other selected needles in a lowermostinactive position to pass beneath the stitch cams during reciprocatoryknitting.

A rotating pattern drum is provided at each side of the knitting stationand each pattern drum is provided with cams which actuate suitablelinkage in timed relation to movement of the needle cylinder forcontrolling the alternate raising and lowering of the stitch cams, forselectively rendering the narrowing picks inoperative during certainreciprocations of the needle cylinder for moving the widening pick toinoperative position for a portion of each reciprocation of the needlecylinder, and for alternately moving a pair of auxiliary needle raisingcams positioned in advance of each of the stitch cams to operativeposition during corresponding opposite knitting strokes of the needlecylinder.

The machine is also provided with a radially movable Patented Dec. 20,1966 stitch cam block and control means for at times positioning thestitch cams in an innermost position to engage the butts of all of theneedles and for at other times positioning the stitch cams in anoutermost position to engage the longer butt needles only while allowingthe short butt needles to pass thereby without being actuated.

In order to selectively form plain and float stitches and to providefabric portions of different types of knit stitches, the machine is alsoprovided with selector jacks and corresponding selector fingers whichare operated from the rotating pattern drums to selectively raise theneedles to knit two yarns together and to knit one yarn and float theother yarn. A set of selector fingers is positioned in advance of and ateach side of the knitting station and a jack raising cam is positioneddirectly beneath the knitting station to raise selected jacks and theircorresponding needles so that the feeding of the yarns to the needles iscontrolled in both directions during reciprocatory knitting of thefashioned gussets as well as during the rotary knitting of the legportions.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- H FIGURE 1 is a front elevation ofthe central portion of the knitting machine with the driving pulleysbroken FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the right-hand side of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of the knitting machine with the drivingpulleys and manually operable handle broken away;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 5-5 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 66 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a somewhat schematic illustration of a portion of themechanism shown in the upper left-hand portion of FIGURE 5, illustratingthe control lever and earns for operating the left-hand stitch cam;

FIGURE 8 is another somewhat schematic view of a portion of the upperright-hand portion of FIGURE 5, illustrating the control lever and camsfor operating the right-hand stitch cam; 7

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 but showing the control lever andearns for operating the lefthand auxiliary needle raise cam;

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 8 but illustrating the controllever and cams for operating the righthand auxiliary needle raise cam;

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURES 7 and 9 but illustrating thecontrol lever and mechanism for at times deactivating the left-handnarrowing pick;

FIGURES 12, 13 and 14 are somewhat schematic successive horizontalsectional views, from top to bottom, of the selector fingers carried bythe left-hand selector block shown in the upper left-hand portion ofFIGURE 6 and illustrating the manner in which each of these selectorfingers is controlled;

FIGURES 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are successive horizontal sectional views,from top to bottom, of the selector fingers carried by the right handselector block shown in the upper right-hand portion of FIGURE 6 andillustrating the manner in which each of these selector fingers iscontrolled;

FIGURE 20 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation looking inwardly at theleft-hand selector block and being taken substantially along the line20-20 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 21 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation looking inwardly at theoutside of the right-hand selector bloc and being taken substantiallyalong the line 21-21 m FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 22 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along theline 22-22 in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 23 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along theline 23-23 in FIGURE FIGURE 24 is an isometric view of the switch camblock' shown in the central portion of FIGURE 5 and illustrating thecontrols for operating the needle switch cams;

FIGURE 25 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the line 25-25 in FIGURE 11;

' FIGURE 26 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line 26-26 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 27 is a diagrammatic illustration of the needle cylinder in planview and showing one arrangement of the needles, according to theirvarious lengths of butts for forming one type of girdle;

FIGURE 28 is a diagrammatic illustration of the needle cylinder andshowing a second arrangement of the needles according to their buttlengths, for forming another type of girdle;

FIGURE 29 is a schematic view of the needle cylinder and illustratingthe arrangement of the pattern jacks positioned beneath the needles; ,7

FIGURE 30 is a view of some ofthe auxiliary and vided with respectiveconventional high speed, slow speed and idler pulleys 24a, 24b and 24c(FIGURES 5 and 6) and a manual crank handle (FIGURE 2) which may berotated to impart manual rotation to the machine, when desired. Thepulleys 24a, 24b and 24c are adapted to be selectively engaged by anendless drive belt, not shown, which may be shifted from one to theother of the pulleys in a conventional manner.

A pinion 26 (FIGURE 2) is supported on the main drive shaft 22 and isdriven by the drive pulleys to impart rotation to a gear 27. The gear 27is fixed on one end of stub shaft 28 (FIGURE 2) which is rotatablysupported in the frame 20 and has a :bull gear fixed on its inner end(FIGURES 1 and 4). The bull gear 30 is in driving engagement with arotary drive pinion 31 (FIGURE 1) which is supported on the main driveshaft 22; and which imparts rotary motion to the main drive shaft when aclutch element 33 is shifted into driving engagement therewith, as shownin FIGURE 1.

The clutch element 33 is keyed to the main shaft 22 and is movedlongitudinally by the clutch fork 34, the lower end of which issupported for longitudinal sliding movement on a shaft 35. The positionof the clutch fork 34 is determined by earns 36 which are supported on aselector jacks, illustrating the arrangement of the operat- .girdleblank which may be knit on the-machine of the V 7 present invention;

FIGURE 33 is a rear view of the same garment; FIGURE 34 is a perspectiveview of the garment blank with the front panel cut along the gore orsuture lines and raised to illustrate the inside of the garment blank;FIGURE 35 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of that portion of thelace or mesh knit fabric within the dotted rectangle indicated at 35 inFIGURE 34;

FIGURE 36 is a view looking at the reverse side of that portion of thefabric shown in FIGURE 35- FIGURE 37 is a somewhat schematic verticalsectional view taken substantially along the line 37-37 in FIG- URE 34and illustrating the manner in which the turned cuffs or hems are formedat the lower free ends of the legs of the garment; and p FIGURES 38, 39and 40 aresimilar to FIGURES 32, 33 and 34 but illustrate a modifiedform of garment blank which may be knit on the machine of the" presentinvention. Although the present knitting machine: is particularlyadapted for knittingsearnless panty girdles and the like, many of theparts are very similar to corresponding parts of a circular hoiseryknitting machine of the type manufactured by'Scott and Williams,particularly the drive mechanism for imparting rotary and recip rocatorymotion to the needle cylinder. A brief description of this drivemechanisrn'will be given and other details can be obtained from US.Patent No. 1,152,850, dated September '7, 1915, which shows a circularhosiery knitting machine having generally the same type of drivemechanism as 3.

is employed in the present knitting machine.

The knitting machine includes a frame 20 which sup ports the drivemechanism, to be presently described, and

'a lower bed plate 21 which is suitably secured to the upper edge of theframe 20. A main driveshaft 22 (FIGURES 1 and 2) is supported forrotation in the frame 20 and one end of the main drive shaft 22 isproclutch shipper drum 37 which is in turn rotatably supported on a mainpattern shaft 40 (FIGURE 1). The main pattern shaft 40 is supported forrotation in the lower forward portion of the knitting machine frame 20.Rotational step-by-step movement is imparted to the clutch shipper drum37 by a rack wheel 41 (FIG, URE- 1) which is racked in a conventionalmanner by theforward end of a racking pawl 42 (FIGURE 2) which iscontrolled by conventional pattern'lugs on the right-hand side of apattern chain-43.

The pattern chain 43 is supported on a sprocket wheel 45 which ismounted fortrotation on the main pattern shaft 40. A chain racking wheel46 (FIGURE 1)'is suitably connected to the sprocket wheel 45 and isadapted to be moved in a step-by-step manner by the forward end of aconventional racking pawl, 50 (FIGURE 3). The rear ends of the rackingpawls 42 and 50 are suitably connected to off-set portions of a'quadrant gear 51. The quadrant gear 51'is supported for oscillation on apattern drum support shaft 52 which is in turn supported in the frame 20of the knitting machine. ;The

lower end of a drive link 53 is connected to the quadrant gear 51' andits upper end is suitably connected to the bull gear 30 in off-centerrelationship (FIGURE 4) so that rotation of the bull gear 30 causes thequadrant gear 51 to oscillate on the shaft 52.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the quadrant gear 5 1 drivingly engages areciprocatory drive pinion 55 which is supported on the main drive shaft22 and is adapted to at times be engaged by the clutch element 33 toimpart re-,

ciprocatory motion to the main shaft 22. The inner end of the main shaft22 (FIGURE '1) is provided with a 'wardly from the lower bed plate 21. Aneedle cylinder support tube 61 extends downwardly from the bed plate 21and its lower end is conventionally supported in a support base 62 onwhich the frame 20 is supported and .to which the upper ends of the legsof the knitting ma-, chine are secured.

A main pattem drum drive gear 64 (FIGURES 1 and 26) is fixed to theinner end of the main pattern shaft 40 and drivingly engages anintermediate drive gear 65,

(FIGURE 26) which is suitably supported for rotation on a stub shaft 65afixed at one end on the machine frame 20} The gear 65 drivingly engagesa gear 66 which is fixed on one end of a main-pattern drum-70. The mainpattern drum 70 is supported for rotation on the shaft 52 and controlsvarious operations of the knitting machine, in a manner to be presentlydescribed.

The portion of the driving mechanism heretofore described issubstantially the same as the driving mechanism of all Scott andWilliams hosiery knitting machines and is adapted to impart rotarymotion to the needle cylinder 60 when the clutch element 33 is shiftedto the position shown in FIGURE 1. Reciprocatory motion may be impartedto the needle cylinder by shifting the clutch element 33 from theposition shown in FIGURE 1 so that it moves out of engagement with therotary pinion 31 and into engagement with the reciprocatory pinion 55.This shifting of the clutch element 33 is controlled by rotation of theshipper drum 37, which is conventionally controlled by the pattern chain43.

The needle cylinder 60 extends upwardly rrom the lower bed plate '21 andthrough an upper bed plate 75 which is supported in spaced relationabove the lower bed plate 21 by a plurality of support posts 76 (FIGURE'6) the lower ends of which are fixed in the \lower bed plate 21 and theupper ends of which are fixed in the upper bed plate 75. The lower bedplate 21 supports suitable jack selector mechanisms 'and the upper bedplate 75 supports various needle actuating cams, to be presentlydescribed.

The upper end of the needle cylinder 60 is provided with a sinker bed 79(FIGURE 1) which supports conventional sinkers for radial movementbetween the needles in the needle cylinder in a conventional manner. Asinker cap 80 is supported on the sinker bed 79" in a conventionalmanner and contains suitable cams which move the sinkers radially in thesinker bed 79.

The rear portion of the upper bed plate 75 supports the lower end of alatch ring support post 82 (FIGURE 4), the upper end of which pivotallysupports the rear portion of a latch ring 88. The forward end of thelatch ring 88 is normally held in latch position as shown in FIGURES l,2 and 3, against the upper end of a widening pick or hunter post 90, thelower end of which is suitably secured to the upper bed plate 75. Thewidening pick and the manner in which it is supported in the post 90will be presently described.

The latch ring 88 is provided with a yarn feeding throat opening 92(FIGURE 31) into which yarn feeding fingers 93 are moved between activeand inactive positions by suitable thrust rods 94 (FIGURE 3), the lowerends of which normally engage the periphery of the pattern drum 70 andthe upper ends of which engage the yarn feed fingers 93, forwardly oftheir pivot points. Any desired number of yarn feeding fingers 93 may bepositioned in the throat opening 92 of the latch ring 8 8 and in thepresent instance two fingers, indicated at 93a and 93b in FIGURE 31, areshown.

As best shown in the right-hand portion of FIGURE 31, each slot of theneedle cylinder 60 contains a. selector jack I, an auxiliary jack A anda latch needle N, each of which are supported for longitudinal orvertical movement in the slots of the needle cylinder 60. The jacks Iare disposed in the general area of the needle cylinder 60 between thelower bed plate 21 and the upper bed plate 75 and have outwardlyextending operating butts 110 on their lower ends which at times passbeneath and at other times pass above a selector jack raise earn 111(FIGURE 31). The jack raise cam 111 (FIGURE 6) is suitably supported onthe lower bed plate 21 and adjacent the needle cylinder 60.

A pair of selector fingersupport blocks 115, 116 (FIG- URE 6) aresuitably secured to the upper surface of the lower bed plate 21 andslidably support a plurality of jack selector fingers for radialmovement toward and away from the needle cylinder '60. In the presentinstance, the selector block 115 slidably supports five selector fingersindicated at 120a, 120b, 1200, 120d and 120g (FIGURES 21 and 31). Theselector block 116 slidably supports three selector fingers 121e, 1211and 121g (FIGURES 20 and 31), however, it is to be understood thatadditional selector fingers may be used in either of the blocks or 116.As best shown in FIGURE 30, the jacks I have a series of selector butts,a through g, certain of which are broken off in a predeterminedarrangement, corresponding with the selector fingers and theiroperation. The particular arrangement of jacks shown in FIGURE 30 willbe later described in connection with the knitting of a particulargarment.

As shown in FIGURE 21, the outer end of each of the selector fingers hasa control arm 122 extending laterally therefrom and .all of the selectorfingers 120 are normally urged inwardly toward the needle cylinder 60 bytension springs 123. The outer ends of the tension springs 123 areconnected to the control arms 122 and their inner ends are suitablyconnected to a spring perch on one side of the support block 115(FIGURES l519).

The selector slide block 116 is fixed on the lower bed plate 21 (FIGURE6) and the selector fingers 121 are mounted for radial sliding movementtherein. The outer end of each of the selector fingers 121 has a controlarm 124 (FIGURE 20) extending laterally therefrom and all of theselector fingers 121 are normally urged inwardly toward the needlecylinder 60 by tension springs 125. The outer ends of the tensionsprings 125 are connected to the control arms 124 and their inner endsare suitably connected to a spring perch on one side of the supportblock 116 (FIGURES 12-14).

Referring particularly to FIGURES 12 through 21, it will be noted thatthe radial inward and outward movement of some of the selector fingers120 and 121 are controlled from suitable cams on a pair of rotatingpattern drums or wheels, to be later described, and at other times theradial movement of the selector fingers is controlled by Bowden wireswhich are operated from levers on the main pattern drum 70, in a mannerto be now described. As shown in FIGURE 21, five selector levers 126 arepivotally supported in horizontal spaced relationship on a pivot post127, the lower end of which is suitably secured in the lower bed plate21. These selector levers 126 are spaced horizontally so that their endsengage the transversely extending control arms 122 of the respectiveselector fingers 120a, 120b, 1200, 120d and 120g.

As shown in FIGURE 15, the selector lever 126 which corresponds with theuppermost selector finger 120g, is adapted to at times be engaged bycams 130g fixed on the right-hand pattern wheel. These 'cams 130g areadapted to withdraw the selector finger 120g in timed relation tomovement of the needle cylinder and during reciprocatory knitting, forpurposes to be later described. However, as shown in FIGURE 15, theselector finger 120g is being held in its outer-most inoperativeposition by a Bowden wire 131, one end of which is suitably secured tothe outermost end of the selector finger 120g. The Bowden wire 131extends around to the rear of the machine (FIG- URE 4) and its other endis suitably connected to the rearmost end of a control lever 132. I

The control lever 132 is pivotally supported intermediate its ends on ashaft 133, one end of which is supported in the upper end of a supportmember 134, the lower end of which is suitably secured to the base 62 ofthe machine. The opposite end of the shaft 133 is enlarged and issuitably supported in the frame 20 of the machine. The forward end ofthe control lever 132 engages a cam 135 on the main pattern drum 70 tohold the selector finger 120g in operative position except for a shortperiod of time during reciprocatory knitting, for purposes to be laterdescribed.

An upstanding post 136 (FIGURE 21) is suitably secured at its lower endin the lower bed plate 21 and oscillatably supports a control sleeve 137thereon. The control sleeve 137 has an outwardly extending cam portion137a positioned intermediate its ends and, as is clearly shown in FIGURE21, the cam portion 137a, is of suflicient length to engage a medialportion of each of the three selector levers 126 which operate the cor-

1. A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE FOIR KNITTING ARTICLES HAVING A PLURALITYOF FASHIONED AND RECIPROCATORILY KNIT INTERCONNECTED GUSSETS, SAIDKNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A NEEDLE CYLINDER HAVINGA SERIES OF A INDEPENDENT NEEDLES SUPPORTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN THECYLINDER AND EACH HAVING AN OPERATING BUTT THEREON, ONE CONTIGUOUS GROUPOF SAID NEEDLES HAVING SHORTER BUTTS THAN THE REMAINING LONGER BUTTNEEDLES, DRIVE MEANS FOR IMPARTING ALTERNATING FORWARD AND REVERSEMOVEMENTS TO SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER, A KNITTING STATION SUPPORTED ADJACENTSAID NEEDLE CYLINDER AND INCLUDING A TOP CENTER CAM, A FORWARD STITCHCAM POSITIONED AT ONE SIDE OF SAID CENTER CAM AND A REVERSE STITCH CAMPOSITIONED AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTER CAM, AND MEANS ASSOCIATEDWITH SAID STITCH CAMS FOR VERTICALLY POSITIONING SAID FORWARD STITCH CAMIN STITCH DRAWING POSITION WITH SAID LONGER BUTT NEEDLES FOR ONLY ASELECTED PORTION OF EACH OF SAID FORWARD MOTIONS OF SAID NEEDLE CYLINDERAND FOR VERTICALLY POSITIONING SAID REVERSE STITCH CAM IN STITCH DRAWINGPOSITION WITH SAID LONGER BUTT NEEDLES FOR ONLY A SELECTED PORTION OFEACH OF SAID REVERSE MOTIONS OF SAID NEEDLE CYLINDER.